For example, if one performs a good deed, something good will happen to them, and the same applies if one does a bad thing. In the Puranas, it is said that the lord of karma is represented by the planet Saturn, known as Shani. [3] a b c Keyes, Charles F.; Daniel, E. Valentine (1 January 1983). Karma: An Anthropological Inquiry. University of California Press. p.134. ISBN 978-0-520-04429-6.

In Hinduism, more particularly the Dharmaśāstras, Karma is a principle in which "cause and effect are as inseparably linked in the moral sphere as assumed in the physical sphere by science. A good action has its reward and a bad action leads to retribution. If the bad actions do not yield their consequences in this life, the soul begins another existence and in the new environment undergoes suffering for its past deeds". [46] Thus it is important to understand that karma does not go away; one must either reap the benefits or suffer the consequences of his past actions. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states, "According as a man acts and according as he believes so will he be; a man of meritorious acts will be meritorious, a man of evil deeds sinful. He becomes pure by pure deeds and evil by evil deeds. And here they say that person consists of desires. And as is his desire so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deeds he does that he will reap". [47] The doctrine of karma dates from ancient times and besides the above author is mentioned in the Gautama dharma-sutra, Shatapatha Brahmana, Kathaaka-grey-sutra, Chandogya Upanishad, Markandeya Purana , and many others. [48]Although souls alone have the freedom and responsibility for their acts and thus reap the fruits of karma, i.e., good and evil karma, God as Vishnu, is the supreme Enforcer of karma, by acting as the Sanctioner ( Anumanta) and the Overseer ( Upadrasta). [30] According to Ramanuja, all jivas are burdened with their load of Karma, which gives them only enjoyments and sufferings, but also desires and tendencies to act in particular ways; although the moral responsibility accrues only to the Jiva, as he acts according to the tendencies and deserts he has acquired by his karma, Ramanuja believes that God wills only their fructification. [30] According to the foregoing concept, God is "compared to light which may be used for forging or for reading scriptures," but the merits or demerit "devolves entirely on the persons concerned and not on the darkness." [30] There is a passage from Swami Sivananda's translation of the Svetasvatara Upanishad (4:6) illustrating this concept:

Everything that we have ever thought, spoken, done or caused is karma, as is also that which we think, speak or do this very moment. [2] Hindu scriptures divide karma into three kinds: [2]

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The Bhagavad Gita, Indian Sacred Text], By Swami Nikhilananda, Chapter 4,9, 18, Ramakrishna -Vivekananda Centre Press, 2004 She probably is saying what you said: Karma is powerful. If you think about it as a god, it’s actually not helpful because a god, typically, is an all-powerful force that exists outside of you. And the whole point of the Buddhist focus on karma is to say that you have this present ability to choose what you do, and that means you can create a world which is less full of suffering. You don’t pray to someone else to do that for you; you get up and do it. This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. ( December 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) The other thing that is a little concerning from a Buddhist frame is she’s basically saying, “You all are screwed because you’ve been unethical, and I’m watching you from my clean side of the street.” But karma is more about thinking about what oneself is doing. You still have to do a lot of wonderful things with the condition and the circumstances and the privilege that you have. So if a Buddhist monk were talking to Taylor Swift, he might ask, “Do you exercise philanthropy? What do you support? How are you using this privilege that you have in this joyful, wonderful life to lessen the suffering of others?” And maybe she is; maybe that’s why she’s so sure that her side of the street is clean. Who am I to judge?

Here’s how you can think about karma: If you want to know what you’ve done in distant past lives, or even just how you’ve been as a person last week or ten years ago, look at your present conditions. Because your reality, both internally and the external world that you’re living in, is a product of karma. Karma just means action — it’s a Sanskrit word. And in Buddhism, it comes to mean intentional, ethical action.a b c Dasgupta, Surendranath. A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume V: The Southern Schools of Saivism, pp. 87-89. I think she really learned something about karma to create this song. I also see some ways in which she’s taken an idea and put it into the love-song or love-lost frame of pop culture. The lyric that makes the least sense, unless — I’m definitely not a Swiftie, so maybe this has some other meaning to Taylor Swift that I don’t know. But if we think about the idea of karma, the lyric “Karma is my boyfriend” makes almost no sense. According to the Markandeya Purana, Shani (Saturn) is described as the son of the Sun god, Surya, and his wife Chhaya (shadow). Saturn is characterized as cold and dry due to its internal core structure made of ice. Internally, he is considered pure. The Purana also states that Shani was entrusted with the role of the Lord of Karma and Justice by the Trimurti. [22] In Vedanta [ edit ] Some [ who?] believe that only human beings who can distinguish right from wrong can do ( kriyamana) karma. [18] Therefore, animals and young children are considered incapable of creating new karma (and thus cannot affect their future destinies) as they are incapable of discriminating between right and wrong. [19] Shani Dev - History and Birth Story of Shani Dev | - Times of India". The Times of India. 15 May 2017 . Retrieved 6 January 2021.

In Vedanta philosophy, the creator Ishvara rules over the world through the law of karma. [23] The various schools of Vedanta hold that karma cannot function independently on its own. Instead they think that God ( Isvara) is the dispenser of the fruit (phala) of karma. This idea is defended in the Brahmasutras, a major scriptural source for Vedanta. [5] [6] Kent, Eliza. "What's Written on the Forehead Will Never Fail": Karma, Fate, and Headwriting in Indian Folktales." Asian Ethnology. 68.1 (2009): 1-26. Tull, Herman W. The Vedic Origins of karma: Cosmos as Man in Ancient Indian Myth and Ritual. SUNY Series in Hindu Studies. P. 28a b c d Brahma Sutras (Shankara Bhashya) (5 March 2014). "Chapter III, Section II, Adhikarana VIII". www.wisdomlib.org . Retrieved 8 May 2022. That’s so funny because I’m teaching Intro right now. And yesterday, in the beginning of class, I played the song for the whole lecture hall. And because they just took a midterm, I said to them, “This is Taylor Swift’s midterm and you’re the grader. What did she get?” Tull, Herman. “The Vedic Origins of Karma: Cosmos as Man in Ancient Indian Myth and Ritual.” SUNY Press (1989)